Kenny & Zuke's is famed for their house cured, smoked and steamed pastrami so we got a sandwich ($12.45):

... made with their house rye bread. The hand sliced meat was okay, but needed some hydration leading us to believe that a Rueben would have been a wiser, saucier, order. We did enjoy the slaw with its vinegary crunch.

The gravlax ($11.95):

... was fine with some spackleage of cream cheese and the capers that we managed to balance on these circular servings.

A colossal knish ($3.95):

... had caramelized onions to amp up the spuddy 'semblage.

The friendly staff and reverberant room:

... filled out the deli experience but we were bummed that we visited before we got a note from a Bunrab reader:

Last time we were in Portland, we had amazing pastrami hash at Kenny and Zuke's. Great deli food!!! Maybe you can fit a visit in.

I jammed my jowls with house made guanciale tucked on top of the cheese and under the ova of this quick bread bordered breakfast. This circular serving qualifies as required ordering.

A "breakfast board" ($7.00):

... was groaning with house made bacon, chicken liver mousse, turkey jerky, lebne, a perfectly boiled egg, black berries, pickled beets, croutons and sliced bread. I was anything but bored with this deck of 'lectability.

The nice staff, food and sonny setting explains the popularity of this breakfast nook.

From our BunRab email-bag, Vicki has some important news aboutTheHouse of Lumpia:

Hi Gutenberg,

How could I have missed your blog ( May 30, 2006 ) after all these years? Before I go any further, I would like to thank you for your favorable comments about THL. I've followed Yelp when we were still open.

Today, I tried to relax after all the cooking and baking I do at home to keep me busy while waiting for the food court to open. Most of the pastries I give away to relatives, friends and neighbors. I miss the daily long hours I spent at the restaurant for more than 12 years.

If the information is correct this time, we might open before the end of the year. With this economy we have, I think opening before year's end is not practical. I'm sure you'll agree that most people will be celebrating Thanksgiving, and then save some money to buy Christmas presents for their love ones. Don't you think after New Year is better? Well, this is not for sure, I'll just keep my fingers crossed until that time when I can fully say : Yes, We Are Open For Business.

Thanks again and I wish you success and happiness in what you do. Have a great day.

Sincerely,

Vicki

Gutenberg replies:

Dear Vicki,

So glad to hear you are re-opening THL. Keep us posted on your opening date- we're looking forward to it.

... at Beaker and Flask was the first sign that we had picked a top stop for dinner.

This rye, Benedictine and bitters 'bibe was squared off with an apricot angle that Manhattaned this orb-iced elixir.

We nibbled on pigs ears ($4.00):

... which were crunchy cartilage cords en-gauged with salt in this pot of pleasing pig frites.

Pickled octopus with pork cheeks ($12.00):

... were splayed on a breadestal over braised peppers and onions. Aioli offered enrichment to this cheeky army of open faced awesomeness.

Flags of fried tripe ($12.00):

... waved over slices of marinated eggplant and red, ripe, heirloom tomato in a crisply stomachable, splendid, serving midsectioned with aioli and cilantro.

We sopped up every bit of corn bisque surrounding an island of smoked sweetbreads ($12.00):

... supported by a base of grilled fennel. Cherry tomato buoys bobbed in the cob moat around this gland locked and flavor loaded bit of bisqueness.

The staff was knowledgeable and friendly at this unmarked my-GPS-must-be-broken restaurant in an industrial district.

This is the sort of restaurant that we love - imaginative, personal expressions of deliciousness from behind both the stick and the stove. We'll have to make it back for one of their Tuesday pig dinners and more of their pleasing potions.

There are lots of food cart pods throughout Portland where wagons are circled to attract pod-estrian palates. The Green Castle Food Court:

... is such a culinary confluence in Northeast Portland. Although this place possesses poorly positioned porta placards:

... their sewagey signage didn't put me off my Viking quest.

Viking Soul Food:

... is a great place to Norse a hangover or simply seek sustenance with their logs of lefse. They fabricate the potato flatbreads for these fold ups and fill them with savory or sweet stuffings. I got a meatball and a salmon lefse ($8.00 for two):

Pork and beef balls were sauced with gjetost to impart a cheesy tanning lotion with added crunch and pucker from pickled cabbage. Shredded smoked salmon had sour cream and shallots with a fresh turn of leafy arugula.

I washed down my loot with a lingonberry iced tea (is it just me, or do lingonberries = Ikea to everyone?) in the central tent:

... (I guess it's supposed to be the "green castle") which was more inviting than the "dining room" (that looked more like a prison's conjugal visit trailer.):

This Scandinavian snackage was a fun intro to the multitude of mobile meals rolling out of Portland.

... might look like a Japanese plastic chicken restaurant display piece, but it is actually the reason why you should drop whatever you are doing and travel directly to Alder Pastry & Dessert.

This Breton puff pastry puck was chenerous on the churnage and topped with sea salt. Simple sounding, shattering and saline, this ultimate expression of butter had a caramel crackle to accompany the confetti of crumbs showering from this crown of Kougin (pronounced "queen").

The salt set in the caramel crust boosted this brittle-ny baked good into a dough rigeur order - it's the 4505 chicharron of the pastry world.

Not contributing but seeking knowledge. Wifey and myself will be in San Fran for the first time ever for three whole days. We want to eat like a bunny and experience unforgettable noshing. Other than a scheduled night at Ad Hoc we are overwhelmed with choices. As an AVID reader of your blog I respect and desire some guidance. We both work in a French Laundry level restaurant so we really aren't interested in that or a Gary Danko type of experience. We see that every day. We like chef driven small neighborhood gems like you frequent. So what SCREAMS San Francisco?

-Mike S.

Gutenberg replies:

Dear Mike,

You are in for a treat with your dinner at Ad Hoc. Get to Yountville ahead of time and shoot down the road to Bouchon Bakery to pick up some gifts to take home (unless you live in L.A. or N.Y. where you already have BB). They have delicious travel-friendly treats including some for Fido.

Here are our top reccos based on your critiera - a Spanish inspired shareable supper at Contigo, the $15 tasting menu at Mr. Pollo, anything with or without offal as an ingredient at Incanto, a special sandwich with a side of chicharrones at Thursday 4505 Meats stand at the SF Ferry Building Farmers Market, the chow at Mission Chinese, beer at Magnolia, crudo, pizza and soft serve at Zero Zero, brunch at Bar Jules, Dennis Leary's compact cooking at Canteen, cocktails and chow (don't skip the pork belly) at Alembic, pie and coffee at Mission Pie, burger and fries at Marlowe, frozen treats at Humphry Slocombe, Thai tucker at Lers Ros...and a shot of Blue Bottle coffee to top it off.

Tapioca beads strung with compressed melon and lemon verbena in a fruity salad of melon-ballyah:

A hint of chili teased out sweetness from corn tofu with white chocolate and almond. This corn silky solution left just enough space for a few chocolates and coffee before we floated to the kitchen to thank the chef.

We made our way to our waiting cars (that is organization) as our pal declared it the best meal she had ever had.